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Spanjaardstraat, Middelburg

Spanjaardstraat, Middelburg

Highlight • Historical Site

Spanjaardstraat, Middelburg

Recommended by 102 cyclists out of 108

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Location: Middelburg, Zeeland, Netherlands

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Top cycling routes to Spanjaardstraat, Middelburg

4.6

(57)

637

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1. Historic Center of Middelburg – Lange Jan Tower, Middelburg loop from Zanddijk

14.3km

00:53

20m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.8

(36)

265

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2. Vrouwenpolder Beach – Historic Center of Middelburg loop from Vrouwenpolder

32.2km

01:53

40m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.7

(57)

251

riders

3. View of Veerse Meer – Historic Center of Veere loop from Biggekerke

54.6km

03:13

90m

Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

June 5, 2023

The Spanjaardstraat in Middelburg as the street of widows?
“Children are playing in the street of widows again,” wrote the newspaper De Stem in 1971. To be honest, we didn't understand that reference. Widows in Spanjaardstraat? Was there any reference to the prostitutes who lived and worked in that street in the fifteenth century?

As so often, we found the answer to our questions in the Krantenbank Zeeland. A reference is probably made to the novel by the writer Greup-Roldanus, entitled 'The moods in the street of widows', which received a prize from the Municipality of Middelburg in the 1950s. However, the book has nothing to do with the fifteenth century, but is partly set in the Spanjaardstraat of the eighteenth century. The widows were four real widows who lived there. In the novel anyway.

But that De Stem piece was about the large-scale renovation of Spanjaardstraat, which started in the late 1960s. You can see that the renovation was necessary in these photos, from the sixties and seventies. The street is now one of the most beautiful in the city, but was then in serious disrepair. Shortly after the completion of the first renovated buildings, Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus came to take a look. Gerrit Schoenmakers showed the royal couple around his house.

We would secretly like to see images from the early days of the street. The street is mentioned in the city accounts as early as 1381, although the area was then still referred to as Spaengen (Spain). We do not know why that name was chosen. Perhaps Spanish traders once lived there?

Those prostitutes were given space there almost 100 years later. In 1460, the bailiff, mayors and aldermen of Middelburg decreed that “all common living women who let him (= themselves) be married or kissed” were not allowed to live anywhere else than in the “street called Spaengen”. Dice and card playing were also only allowed “at the dobbelscole” in Spanjaardstraat. Spanjaardstraat did not have such a good name at that time. (quote from “From the history of Middelburg” by Peter Sijnke – Den Boer publication, Middelburg, 1978).

Source: wijzijndestad.com/tales/de-spanjaardstraat-in-middelburg-als-straat-der-weduwen

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 60 m

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Wednesday 29 October

13°C

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70 %

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Max wind speed: 26.0 km/h

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Location: Middelburg, Zeeland, Netherlands

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Spanjaardstraat, Middelburg

1. Historic Center of Middelburg – Lange Jan Tower, Middelburg loop from Zanddijk

2. Vrouwenpolder Beach – Historic Center of Middelburg loop from Vrouwenpolder

3. View of Veerse Meer – Historic Center of Veere loop from Biggekerke

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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